Welcome to Cradle of Life

Take an old farmer’s co-op, set amongst disused quarries, in the most stunning patch of untouched wilderness. Establish that this is in an area which is recognised as home to the oldest well preserved sequence of volcanic and sedimentary rocks on Earth and then raze the building to the ground! Now gather together some of the most creative minds around, add some eminent historians, geologists and people with a passion for conservation and you have a recipe for a wonderfully exciting development! The Cradle of Life in Badplaas.

The Cradle of Life is just that, with the word Cradle signifying the early beginnings of life on earth. Records of Earth’s earliest life forms, including microfossils, stromatolites, biomats and other organically derived material have been discovered in the adjacent Barberton mountains which have been dated at some 3600 million years of age. Life is very much part and parcel of the environment here, not only ancient, but modern too. The most impressive array of earthly animal species, exotic and indigenous, have been gathered together at the Cradle of Life. These include white lions, tigers, jaguars, pumas, leopards, cheetahs, Siberian wolves, hyenas and meerkats. There is also an absolute abundance of bird life including raptors and LBJ's for the birding enthusiast. View the latest list of birdshere

Our ‘fresh fuel’, clean restrooms, and well stocked convenience store provide a welcome break on a long journey and our spacious restaurant will provide a range of delicious meals for travellers wanting to take a longer break on their journey.

Please visit our Wedding and Conference pages to find out what we can offer for these all-important events.